Staying Strong
by embrylover462
Summary: When Edward leaves Bella alone in the woods, she is angered beyond belief. When Alice sees Edwards decision to leave, she decides she will stop at nothing to keep her friendship with Bella in tact. As Bella learns to move on and Alice and Jasper experience time away from their family, can their dangerous friendship stay strong?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone I'm Stellar. I recently started this story and its the first time I have written anything good in years. I first wanted to say that I don't own any of the characters from Twilight. Those are all very thankfully owed to the masterful Stephanie Meyer. I hope you all like the story. Please review. A GIANT Thank You to my wonderful Beta for helping me when my grammar and wording doesn't quite fit. Enjoy the story everyone!**

Chapter One: Anger

**Bella:**

"I don't want you." The words were ringing in my ears. I stood in the woods staring at the ground as my heart broke. The grass and fallen leaves were sprinkled with water. The trickling noise in the back of my mind was growing louder, as the storm picked up above the canopy of trees over my head.

When I looked up to face him he was gone. Gone. My whole body suddenly felt like it was on fire. I looked around expecting to see flames engulfing my clothing. There were none to be seen. My blood was practically boiling. The sound of a garbled scream filled the air as my whole body shook. It took me until the noise had stopped to realize that the scream had come from me. I fell to my knees sobbing. My hands pounded the ground as I fought with the world to stop tilting. I shook as the heavy sobs rocked my whole being. My mind was reeling. I felt broken and devastated, but, to my surprise, there was another feeling. It was the feeling that was responsible for my tears and had my blood boiling. I was angry. To be more accurate, I was livid.

I waited for the shaking to stop but it seemed to only lessen, never quite ceasing. My body quivered as I picked up a rock. I threw it at place he had stood not moments before. I picked up another and did the same. Soon I was gasping for air as I yelled into the night. My sobs racked through my chest again but this time they were in fury.

Every single day I had spent with Edward Cullen since the first time we met came crashing down in my mind. Every touch, every kiss, every smile had been a lie. How could I be so stupid to believe that someone like him could fall in love with a human like me? Even better yet, the fact that I _had_ fallen for it. I believed that he loved me. I forgot the firm grasp that I used to have on reality. Love doesn't exist for people like me. Not with someone as perfect as Edward Cullen. I am utterly normal in comparison. There is no way that a man, or even a boy, could love me. I am loaded down with baggage and danger always finds me. He should have let me die when he had the chance.

At that thought I got up and walked back to the house. I was still shaking, which could have been due to the fact that I was now completely soaked from the rain. When I walked to the front of the house I wasn't surprised to see the Cruiser still in the driveway. Charlie was probably wondering where I was. I walked through the door and he turned around in his chair to look at me. When his eyes met mine they were instantly filled with concern.

"What's wrong Bells? You are soaked." He rushed over to me. He hesitated before placing his hands on my shoulders. He turned me from side to side eyeing my condition. It was just like Charlie to not want to invade my space, even in a situation like this.

"I don't really want to talk about it tonight dad. I just wanna go change into dry clothes." My voice was dry with annoyance left over from my fury in the woods. He let go of my shoulders but his eyes showed that he was far from being done with his questions. For now he stayed quiet and went back to his football game on the television. I slowly trudged up the stairs. It seemed like it took forever to reach the top.

When I reached my bedroom door, more words from him tore through my mind. "_It will be as if I never existed". _Terror and a new wave of agony ripped through my frame as I launched myself through the door. Everything was right as I had left it. I went to the photo album my mom had given me. I sat lightly on my bed pulling it onto my lap. Slowly I opened it and flipped to where his picture used to be. The picture was no longer there. In its place was a photograph of Mike and me, taken in the lunchroom. I furiously yanked the picture out of its stolen place and tore it up. Who did he think he was? Stealing my memories away. I threw the photo album to the floor. Shaking violently, I slowly got up from my bed and went to my dresser. I grabbed the most comfortable pajamas I could find and headed for the shower.

The warm water was soothing but the shaking still wouldn't stop. It had lessened so that just my hands were shaking. I shook them trying to get the quivering to stop but to no avail. After I was thoroughly clean of all of the grime and sap from the woods, I got into my pajamas and went back to my room. The sound of Charlie's game had ceased. Soon I picked up on his light snores. I shut the door quietly behind me and went over to my computer. I turned it on and while I waited for it to connect to the internet I decided to clean my room. It was mostly clean but in my anger I had tracked mud and foliage all over the carpet. I walked quietly downstairs to get the broom so that I could sweep up my mess. I thought about vacuuming but the thought of waking Charlie put that option to rest fairly quickly.

When I got to the end of the stairs I noticed that the kitchen light was on. A shiver of worry crept up my spine. Next to the bottom of the stairs was an umbrella. It wasn't much but I grabbed it anyway. I tightened my grip, raising it over my shoulder. My stomach lurched as I racked my brain for ways to attack a home invader. Fighting them probably wouldn't do any good considering my complete lack of agility, or stealth for that matter.

I turned slowly into the kitchen attempting to make as little noise as possible. Surprise was the only thing I had going for me. The umbrella fell crashing to the floor as recognition hit me. The small frame of my "invader" was familiar, even from behind, as it perched lightly in Charlie's worn out chair. Chuckling the female form turned around. Her hair bounced as she hopped up out of Charlie's seat at the table. Alice Cullen sashayed over to me and gave me a light hug.

"What are you doing here Alice? I thought you were leaving." I was surprised I could find my words.

"I don't care what that bonehead of a brother tells me. I was saying goodbye to my best friend." Her eyes glinted with sadness. If she were capable I knew a tear would have fallen. "Oh Bella, I don't want to go but Jasper… He is still very mad at himself. I have tried to reason with him but it's like talking to a wall. He has never shut me out like this."

"Alice, I am so sorry! It is my fault. I am such a klutz. Please tell him I said not to be mad at himself." My eyes stung with real tears remembering the southern gentleman that was Jasper Hale.

"Bella, don't you dare blame yourself. Jasper would have been just fine if Edward hadn't reacted so angrily when we returned that night. He nearly attacked us the minute we walked in. When I saw him decide on leaving, I put my foot down Bella. I do not agree with him one bit. He wants us all to leave and never speak to you again. I won't have it. We will leave but damnit I will talk to whomever I please." Seeing this much anger come out of her tiny little body was intimidating yet I couldn't help but smile for the first time all night.

"I don't want to mess up your family Alice. I care about you all too much. Edward doesn't want me around, nor you around me. I don't want to ruin your relationship with your brother." I sighed conflicted. Alice was my best friend. I didn't want to lose her but I knew how Edward was when he set his mind to something.

"Well to be honest Bella it isn't up to you. Edward, Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, and Rosalie all went up to Denali to visit with our family up there. Jasper ran to Colorado. I am meeting him there later tonight. Edward will have no idea what I am doing and for all I care he doesn't need to ever know. Jasper and I were due to have some alone time for a little while anyway. We will meet up with Carlisle and Esme in a couple of months." I felt all of the color drain from my cheeks. I was mortified. This move was long term. I had split up this family. "Bella don't even think about it. This is not your doing it is his. Take this!" She pushed a small rectangular object into my hand. I looked down to see that it was a cell phone. An iPhone with a heavy duty lime green case. "That is so you have a way to talk to me. Texting and calling are both on there. Download whatever apps you like. The case is waterproof and shockproof. I know how clumsy you are. My number is already programmed in. This is my new present to you. To make up for your disaster of a birthday." She smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. Her mind was with Jasper in Colorado.

"Alice, thank you." Fresh tears spread down my face. I hugged her lightly. She wrapped her cold strong arms around me. "You have no idea how much this means."

"I think I do Bella, but unfortunately I have to go now. Jasper is expecting me before morning." She released me from another hug and turned toward the door. She stopped when she reached it and glanced back. "You are not alone in this Bella. Know that ok?" I nodded lightly and then she was gone. I sighed lightly and resumed what I had come downstairs for. I grabbed the broom from the pantry and after placing the umbrella back in its proper place, I went upstairs.

After cleaning up my room I sat down at the computer. The poor thing was on its last leg and struggled to open the web browser even after having all that time to warm up. I definitely needed to start saving up for a new one. I checked my email and found the typical letter from Renee. She was excited about Phil finally taking her to Disneyworld. She couldn't wait to see all of her favorite characters from movies we had watched together when I was young. I could tell that she had probably cried through this entire email. She was so erratic and emotion driven. She finished her email asking how Edward and I were. I quickly jotted down a reply conveniently avoiding all things that pertained to Edward. Although I was sure she would notice right away, I wasn't ready to tackle that hurdle tonight.

Exhaustion suddenly hit me as I sent Renee my reply. My muscles ached and my stomach was in knots. Crying had really taken its toll on my body. My eyelids were getting heavier by the second. I logged out of my email and shut down my computer. I crawled into bed and was asleep before my head hit the pillow.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is chapter two everyone. These chapters will be alternating between Alice and Bella's point of view. I will label the chapters accordingly with their names in bold. I wanna make a huge shout out to my Beta. She saves me from the humiliation of spelling and grammar errors. Please review. Much love. Enjoy!**

Chapter Two: Hiding

**Alice:**

The drive to Colorado was short in my haste. I focused my mind on Jasper alone as soon as I left Bella's kitchen. He was so angry with himself for what he had done to Bella. My heart ached to be near him again. He was unstable and although I didn't see him hurting anyone, the faster I got to him the less I had to worry that he would end up slipping back into old habits. I accelerated to 120 mph in Carlisle's sleek black car. The mountains passed by like a blur as I drove toward the one creature on this planet that needed me most. Jasper was anxiously awaiting my return to him, we both hated being away from one another for longer than necessary.

I rounded the next bend and a small dirt road appeared on the left. I took the turn much faster than any human should but considering that it was so late and I was deep in the mountains there were no witnesses. Jasper hadn't told me where he was going but he didn't need to. We had been here before. Everyone in our family has their own sanctuaries. Jasper's was here. He felt safe here. He was far from the human populous. Here he couldn't hurt anyone.

The dirt road slowly turned into a two track path. Ahead I could see the lights of our cottage shining through the darkness. Though I didn't necessarily like Jaspers style I left this cottage to his devices. This was the one thing I gave him to completely be his own. I always came with him when he came to the cottage but the interior designer inside me got filed away into the recesses of my brain. Here we could be ourselves. The selves that we were before we joined the Cullen clan. I love my family more than I can make words for but Jasper is my life. As I am his.

The car slid lightly and gently to a stop as I reached the cottage. I got out of the car and for the first time in days it seemed, I let go of my human façade. I walked at my normal vampire pace through the door.

Jaspers beautiful scent flooded around me. There he sat head in his hands on the couch in the small living room. He was utterly still. As the door clicked shut behind me he adjusted ever so slightly. He knew I was there. I walked to his side and knelt down in front of him. My hands, so small compared to his own, reached up and touched the contours of his face that weren't covered. "Jasper, are you ok?" He didn't move or answer. I traced his hands with my own hoping to calm him. "Jazz, please at least look at me." He was still for a while but then slowly his hands moved away from his eyes and curled into fists. He rested his chin on his hands and peered down at me. The liquid topaz met my eyes in a slow lazy motion. There was nothing but self-loathing there. He was so hard on himself. I already knew what he was going to say but I sat patiently waiting for him to take the time he needed. After a few minutes he finally spoke. His voice was soft and broken.

"When is this going to stop Allie? I know I am the newest at this but I am around those kids every day. I have been around Bella almost every day for a year. I feel like it's never going to get any easier! I never regretted this life and I love our family. I just feel like I keep letting them down. Eventually they won't be able to forgive me anymore." His face was covered by his hands once again. I couldn't stand seeing him like this. I climbed off the floor. I gently pushed his shoulders back so he was leaning against the back of the couch. I straddled him. His hands slid from his face as I took it into my small hands. I planted a light gentle kiss on his lips.

"Jasper Whitlock, stop. Please baby. Now look at me." His eyes slowly rose to mine. He looked so defeated. "Carlisle would never do that. I know Edward said some really hurtful things to you before you left but you know he didn't mean them. Mom loves you and would never turn you away. They understand that it takes time. Jasper you spend a long time stuck thinking you didn't have another option. Jazz no one blames you for what happened. If anything, I should have seen it coming. I was the one who planned the stupid party anyway." Jasper made a move to object, his face suddenly stern as I put the blame on myself, but I cut him off before he could say anything. "Bella isn't mad at you. She told me to tell you that you can't blame yourself. She was very upset to hear that you were beating yourself up so much. She was a wreck and yet somehow still was able to put her own problems aside because she was worried about you. She is a strong girl, Jazz." His mouth curled only slightly but I could tell he felt a little bit better.

"So you got to talk to her then? I am surprised Edward wasn't there lurking. What did you guys talk about?" He was now eager to listen. His eyes relaxed though I still could see a hint of sadness in them. I wanted to make him happy so I didn't bring it up and continued with the story.

"I told her that I wanted to stay in contact with her and I gave her the cell phone that I was going give her for Christmas. She was so happy that I didn't agree with Edward. You should have heard her in that forest Jazz. She was screaming and throwing rocks. It was strange to see. I waited until I knew Edward was well out of range and after she had calmed down a little before I went to see her. She was broken but she is going to be ok. I am going to keep my eye on her though." I closed my eyes and saw Bella at school reading alone at our table. Her hair surrounded her like a shield from the outside world. Her phone sat beside her and she smiled at her worn copy of Wuthering Heights. She placed her book down as Angela sat down next to her.

My eyes fluttered back open meeting Jasper's curious gaze. "What did you see love?" His voice was calm and serene. All evidence of his earlier turmoil had vanished. In its place was the curiosity and sweet love of the southern gentleman I knew like the back of my hand.

"Bella. She was at school. She seemed happy. She and Angela were sitting at our old table." I was glad that she would be ok. I took out my phone. "Will you take a picture with me Jazz? She would want to know you are ok." He nodded lightly and smiled as I kissed his cheek snapping a picture of us. I typed a quick message to her explaining that I had arrived safely. After attaching the picture I sent it quickly. She did not reply but I knew she would get it in the morning. "Are you hungry? I need to hunt." He shook his head lightly chuckling.

"I ate earlier. I had only been back a short while when you got here. Got a grizzly and a few deer. I will go with you if you want. I still love watching you hunt. Not to mention I haven't been alone with you in way to long. I won't be letting you out of my sight, Darlin'." I couldn't help but smile brightly at him. My Jasper was back and if my heart could have fluttered in that moment I know it would have.

We took off into the mountains. The wind whipped through our hair and we let our instincts take over. I picked up a scent quickly and darted up a nearby cliff. The cliff ascended about 100 feet and then jutted inward before ascending again. I stopped at the plateau and cut into the cliff face in front of me was the opening of a cave. It was still incredibly dark but that didn't affect me at all. I could see quite far into the cave. It wasn't all together large. Inside pressed against the back wall was a large Black Bear. It was asleep. My excitement deflated slightly. It was no fun taking them when they were asleep. It was like cheating. Jasper chuckled lightly by my side. I frowned but quickly it turned into a smile. "Want to wake it up? It would make it so much more fun." I said enthusiastically. He laughed out loud then. He nodded eyeing the creature tucked away in his home.

"You are truly quite dangerous. Never let me forget that." He smiled kissing the top of my head.

"Oh I won't." I walked toward the mouth of the cave. It opened in a ragged arch about five feet above my head. I pressed my hand against the hard stone. I knocked hard on the rock. It echoed throughout the cave. The bear stirred as a second echo sounded as the rock broke off of the wall and clattered to the ground. With a grunt the bear lifted its head. Jasper sat perched near the edge of the cliff, watching me carefully. I hissed loudly at the bear. I saw the instant that he reacted to his territory being threatened. The bear rose and snarled viscously at me. I hissed at it again taking a step forward. The bear reacted as I passed his threshold of sorts. His teeth barred and huffing, he bounded toward me as fast as he could. I easily glided away from the creature. Confusion filled its eyes. The big creature was easily a foot taller than me. The bear stood up on its hind legs. The creature swiped at me with its paw but once again I was out of its way before it knew I had moved. The bear grew more frustrated. It roared again and took another swipe at me. I was getting hungrier by the second. In an instant I was on the bears back. I sank my teeth into his thick skin. He roared but it was cut off quickly as I wrapped my small arms around its neck cutting off its air supply. I drained the large beast in a matter of minutes. I felt the warmth of his blood coursing through my body being absorbed into my cells. All of my stress and irritability and weakness left me. I stood up and crossed the short distance between my lover and myself. He opened his arms to me. I folded myself into his chest and kissed his neck softly.

"Let's go back shall we?" Jasper squeezed me tightly. I nodded. It was times like this that I wished I could sleep. Not because I was tired, but because I wished I could fall asleep with him and wake up to him. A sly smirk appeared on Jasper's face. Suddenly I was in his arms and he was jumping off the cliff. I laughed lightly at his demeanor. His tenor laugh intertwined with my soprano one.

He carried me all the way back to the cottage. Once we were inside he placed me gently onto the floor. I took in the scent of him that assaulted my senses every time I entered this place. His face was suddenly inches from mine. "I love you Alice. I don't think I would survive without you." I opened my mouth to answer but it was cut off by his lips crashing down on mine. My mind went blank and the rest of the world left us. It had been ages since we'd had even the slightest amount of privacy. My hands found his face and I pulled him closer to me. His arms wound around my waist. One rested at the small of my back as the other crawled under my shirt up to the middle of my back. I snaked my arms around his neck pushing my fingers into his hair. A low growl escaped his lips as I pressed myself against him. He picked me up easily and started walking in the direction of the bedroom. Our kiss deepened as he laid me down on the bed. He lowered himself over me. My hands untucked his shirt and unbuttoned it with expert precision. His hands were like lightning as my clothes also disappeared from my body. Our bodies melded together, fitting like perfect puzzle pieces. Nothing else mattered as we lost ourselves in the early hours of the morning. It had definitely been too long.


	3. Chapter 3

**So here is chapter three everyone. I will be updating every Thursday. It won't be at the same time but as I get my schedule solidified, I am hoping to get them posted before 3pm EST. Anyway, enough about the whens and hows. Please review. I hope you like it. Constructive criticism is always welcome as well. Shout out to all of the followers of this story. We have reached over 20. For me that is a lot of people. I appreciate your support. Enjoy. **

**Much Love, Stellar**

Chapter Three: Almost Alone

**Bella:**

The warmth on my face woke me the next morning. Light was coming through the small space between my curtains. I stiffly sat up in my bed. My joints ached from sleeping in the same position for too long. I couldn't recall what I had been dreaming about. I know that I had dreamed about something but I was oddly comforted by the fact that I couldn't remember. The events from the night before now slowly filled my mind. I reached over and picked up my newly acquired iPhone from my bedside table. The screen showed that I had a received a text message from Alice while I was sleeping. The message assured me that she had found Jasper safely. Attached to the message was a photo of Alice and Jasper. It still seemed to take my breath away that their perfection transferred so brilliantly in photos. I saved the picture to my phone and then set it back on the bedside table.

Kicking my comforter off of my legs I got out of bed. I walked over to the window and pulled the curtains open. Bright sunlight flooded the room as I took in the rare view. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky. The green haze covered everything again and I was struck by how many different shades of green there actually were.

The sharp ring of the telephone downstairs pulled me out of my reverie. Glancing quickly at my alarm clock, I rushed out of my room, knowing Charlie would have already left for work. I slowed only slightly when I reached the stairs. The last thing I needed was to trip and break something. I slid up to the phone just as it rang for the third time. I yanked the phone off of the receiver.

"Hello" I wheezed breathing heavily.

"Um. Hi. Bella?" A meek feminine voice on the other end answered.

"Yeah, it's me. Sorry I was in my room. I had to run downstairs to the phone. May I ask who this is?"

"Oh yeah sorry. This is Angela Weber." She replied quietly.

"Hey Ang. What's up?" I asked curiously

"Well I was wondering if you wanted to hang out. I am stuck babysitting but it is so nice out I was thinking we could go to the park so they can get some of this ridiculous energy out and we can enjoy the weather as well." It was nice out and it would be better than sulking at home in my anger. If it were Jessica on the phone I would have made up some excuse just so I wouldn't have to explain why I wasn't spending the weekend with Edward. Angela just wasn't as nosy. Of course she would probably ask but the pressure wasn't the same.

"That would be nice Ang. I have got to get ready for my day still. I will meet you at the high school in about an hour?" I asked glancing at the time above the stove. "We can walk to the park from there."

"That sounds great. It will probably take that long for me to get these crazies out the door anyway. See you in a bit."

"See you then." I waited to make sure Angela had hung up and then after putting the phone back on the receiver, I went back upstairs to my bedroom. The light from the window still filled my room. I retrieved clothes from my dresser and after getting dressed I went to the bathroom and went through my normal morning routine.

Returning to my room, I grabbed the phone from its place beside my bed and stuffed it and my wallet into my small messenger bag. I threw my house keys into it as well. I walked swiftly to the door. Turning back, I crossed my room again and grabbed a book from the shelf. After placing that into my bag among the other items, headed back downstairs. I jotted down a note for Charlie and left it on the table. I didn't expect to still be gone when he got home but after what had happened last spring with James, I always covered my bases. I grabbed my jacket just in case the weather decided to show its true colors and after locking the door behind me went to my monster of a truck. It roared to life and groaned into gear. I pulled out of the drive and headed to the high school.

Angela was sitting patiently on one of the benches in front of the school. Her brothers were running around the empty parking lot pretending to be airplanes, or birds, I wasn't sure which. I parked next to her car and crossed the distance to where Angela was sitting. Her gaze followed me as I crossed the short distance. She seemed genuinely happy to see me. There was no fake illusions like there seemed to be with Jessica.

Angela called the boys over to her and we proceeded to walk to the park. There was a light breeze but other than that the day was the nicest I had seen since my days in Phoenix. Joshua and Isaac ran ahead of us, being careful not to step on the cracks in the sidewalk. They occasionally would trip each other to try to get them to step on a crack. This would lead to them chasing each other until they got far enough away that Angela would get anxious and call the boys back and they would start again. It was quite entertaining to watch. I never necessarily wanted siblings but I couldn't help but see the relationship that the Weber's had and wish I had a sibling I could love like they do.

We arrived at the park after only a short time. Joshua and Isaac didn't need any prompting. They ran off to the closest jungle gym and began to play. Angela and I found a bench and we sat down next to each other.

"I hope this weather holds for a while. Sometimes I forget what the sun looks like." Angela said with a sigh as she watched the boys climb on the monkey bars.

"Yeah it's nice. Everything is so green and beautiful." I sighed as well relaxing in the sun.

"I am really glad you were able to hang out. Part of me was expecting you to be off camping with the Cullen's or something." Her words were sweet and genuine but my heart thudded in my chest. If she were like the Cullen's that alone would have given me away. The anger from last night coursed through me again, not nearly of the same magnitude. It was like a ghost of my fury from the night before. Only my hands shook now. I folded them in my lap. Angela quickly picked up my agitation. "I didn't mean to upset you Bella. Did I say something wrong?" This girl was beyond kind.

"No." I sighed. "It wasn't you Ang. It is so complicated." I slumped a little farther down in the bench. Angela didn't press but she waited patiently for me to continue. "Edward and his family left yesterday. He came over and broke up with me. He didn't give me any explanation. He just left. Alice came over later and said she was mad about moving but she is going to keep in touch. It was all just so sudden. I am just so angry. Edward said all these things to me about our future and then just up and left." Angela's eyes grew wide as I concluded.

"Bella, I am so sorry. I wish I knew what to say to make you feel better. If Ben left with no explanation, I would probably be mad too." And with that said and a nod from me, that subject was over. Angela patted my arm before rushing off after the boys, one of whom had gotten his arm caught in the monkey bars trying to swing on them wrong.

Josh's arm started to bruise and swell quickly. Angela brought the boys over to the bench I was sitting at. She then took out her phone and rapidly punched a number into the phone. Josh was crying on the bench next to me. Isaac stood motionless, eyeing his brother with tears of his own in his eyes. Angela came back a few minutes later. "My parents are going to meet us at the hospital. They want to make sure that Josh's arm isn't broken. I'm sorry Bella. If you want to go home I understand. You are welcome to come with us if you want though." I could tell Angela didn't want me to leave. An awkward feeling filled my chest as I looked at the boy next to me. His tears made me want to take away his pain. The way Angela looked at him, it was like she wanted nothing more than to turn back time. It was Isaac's face that made me the most envious of these siblings relationship. Isaac clutched his own arm and the pained look on his face was heartbreaking. Isaac was feeling Joshua's pain. Not literally but they were twins after all. I looked back to Angela who was trying to coax Josh into getting up so we could walk to the car.

"I will go with you guys. I can wait here with the boys while you go get your car. That way Josh doesn't have to move more than necessary." All of my experience with broken, sprained, and bruised body parts taught me one thing. Don't move if you don't have to. Angela nodded and with a quick thank you, she ran off toward the school parking lot. I glanced at Josh. "Hang in there Josh. Ang is gonna be back soon. Your parents will be at the Hospital when we get there." I tried to sound normal and then I remembered that normal people don't pick up on stuff like the Cullen's did. Josh barely knew me. He had no idea that my heart was pounding slightly faster than normal. The boys didn't know that I fidget when I am uncomfortable. This realization made me relax a little.

We sat in silence until Angela's car pulled up to curb. I rushed to the back door and pulled it open. Josh got up quickly, yet surprisingly carefully, and got in the car. I closed the door behind him and after Isaac was safely inside the car behind Angela, I quickly got into the passenger seat. Angela's driving was nothing like Edward's. She drove faster than the speed limit but she was so focused on the road that the thought of disturbing her with conversation was put out of your mind before it even entered. She stopped at every light and stop sign but we were still there well before my truck would have arrived if I had been driving.

When we arrived at the emergency entrance to the hospital, the Weber's were already there waiting, just as I had predicted they would be. Mrs. Weber had an anxious look on her face. Mr. Weber looked worried but not at all surprised. I had a feeling that Josh and Isaac were almost as familiar with the hospital as I was. We all exited the vehicle and Mrs. Weber ushered us all inside. Everyone was very careful not to touch Joshua. He cradled his arm gently as a nurse rushed up to us.

After the nurse had gotten all of the information that she needed, we were escorted to the waiting room. The small room smelled faintly of blood and bleach. My stomach flopped in my stomach. I remembered the last time that I had been to this hospital. Tyler Crowley had just about murdered me with his van. If it hadn't been for… My hands shook and I forced the memory out of my mind. Simultaneously another thought process took over. The realization was like a punch to the chest. Carlisle would not be coming through the emergency room doors to take care of Joshua's arm. He wouldn't give her an appreciative smile as he realized that it wasn't her who was broken. I would never see that man's face again. Edward had ripped them away from me and left a jagged empty hole in their place. My fury filled the hole in my chest. My hands began to shake again. A hand slowly rested over mine. I lifted my eyes to see Mrs. Weber looking at me sweetly.

"Bella dear I can drive you back to your car if you are uncomfortable. Angela mentioned your weak stomach when it came to stuff like this." She had mistaken my reaction to my own inner turmoil as discomfort in the situation with Joshua's arm.

"Oh, that isn't bothering me Mrs. Weber. I just have a lot on my mind right now. It's been a rough couple of days." I don't know why I felt the need to disclose this information with her. I guess she reminded me of my mom. She wasn't childlike or nearly as eccentric, but she had this quality about her that made me not want to keep things from her. "Do you think that maybe Angela could take me? I think it might be easier for her to be away from all of this for a few hours." We both glanced at Angela, who was currently pacing up and down the waiting room. Every few seconds she would glance at the door and check her phone for the time.

"Angela, sweetheart? Why don't you and Bella get out of here? You guys had a nice day planned. I would hate for this sunshine to go to waste." Angela's eyes widened and she looked anxiously at Josh. She began to protest but her mother was quick to interrupt. "I will call you as soon as we find out anything. There is nothing you can do here anyway. Go and have fun with your friend." Mrs. Weber's voice was soft and kind on the surface but underneath, there was a tone that let everyone know that this was in no way optional. Angela glanced quickly at the door and then her brother before grabbing her purse from one of the chairs. I got up and followed Angela out the door, throwing a quick smile to Mrs. Weber as we left.


	4. Chapter 4

**I am so very sorry for the wait everyone. I have been out of town. My sister just gave birth to her beautiful daughter on Wednesday. I know that this chapter is pretty short but I promise another chapter will be up on Thursday and it will be much longer. This is also a little bit of a filler chapter. I hope you guys like it. Once again, I am so so sorry. Please review!**

**Much Love,**

**Stellar**

Chapter Four: Watching

**Alice**

The weekend followed quickly. Jasper and I spent the majority of the weekend enjoying our time alone. When we weren't in bed we were out running in the mountains. There wasn't much to do that we hadn't done an infinite amount of times in the past. There wasn't anywhere in a 100 mile radius that we hadn't explored. Jasper decided that today he wanted to stay in, so we did.

I reached swiftly from my side of the bed, over Jasper, to grab my phone from the nightstand. It rang again quietly in my hand when another text message arrived. Glancing at it quickly I read Bella's quick synopsis of her weekend. It pleased me that she had spent the weekend hanging out with Angela. Angela's brother had broken his arm. She rattled on about not knowing what to tell her mother about Edward. Charlie was annoying her with his smug attitude regarding the whole situation.

**A: **Keep your head up Bella. Your dad will get over it. When it comes to your mom, just let her know that things didn't work out and that you don't want to talk about it. She will just want to be there for you. That sucks about Angela's brother. It's cool that you are hanging out with Angela. I always liked her.

A few minutes passed before her reply came through.

**B:** It was a fun weekend. It was weird at the hospital though. I kept expecting to see Carlisle. How is Jasper?

**A: **He is doing very well. Much better now that he can relax and we have some alone time. I will make sure to tell Carlisle that you miss him once Ed leaves. He should be gone in a couple weeks.

**B: **I don't really care if he finds out. Really what is he gonna do? He obviously didn't care enough to stay, so why should he care if I miss his family?

**A:** I don't know what is going on in that man's mind Bella. I just think it would be better if we avoid the conflict.

**B:** Well whatever is easiest for you. Have a good day I have to go to school soon.

I reached over Jasper once again after responding with a quick goodbye, and placed the phone back on the bedside table. Jasper placed the book he had been reading down next to him. He lightly wrapped his arm around my shoulders pulling me close. It was so good to see him acting like himself. He lightly kissed the top of my head winding a piece of my short dark hair around his finger. "Did you have a good talk with Bella?" his voice was soft and casual. I rested my head on his chest. I focused my eyes on the crescent scars that crisscrossed over his entire body. It was rare for them to catch my attention. In the years that Japer and I had been together, it no longer bothered me that, to vampire eyes, my husband was mangled. To any human his beauty still stole their breath. The thousands of scars put a menacing warning sign above his head to our kind. Jasper was dangerous. I was so pleased that I had seen him. He was a permanent fixture in my future.

A light tap on top of my head pulled me back to reality. I looked up at him with a light smile on my lips. Remembering that I had been asked a question, I answered quickly. "She was just telling me about her weekend and about her missing Carlisle. She is still mad at Edward. We can't really blame her for that though can we?" He chuckled beneath me. The sound was soothing to my ears.

"No we can't blame her at all for that. What thoughts have you so distracted, Darlin'?" He asked with a puzzled look in his eyes. "You were tracing my scars." This comment surprised me. I hadn't realized that as I was lost in thought my fingers were moving silently along the scars on his stomach.

"I was thinking about how happy I was to have found you. How even though you are covered in reminders of your past, you have refused to let it define you. That in your search for answers you found me." He sighed lightly and I sat up to face him.

"My past does define me. I am the man that I am today because of my past. The wars and the newborns that I killed year after year have left a permanent mark on my life. Alice finding you was the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love you with all of my being. You have shown me that I don't have to be ashamed of these scars." His tone did not suggest he was upset but instead they were saturated with love. As I gazed into his eyes, a smirk splayed across his gorgeous face. "Someone is feeling feisty today." I flashed him a smirk of my own. In a flash I was pinned under his chiseled naked form. His face was mere millimeters away from my own. His caramel eyes gazed deeply into my own. "I will never grow tired of you my Darlin' Allie" And then his mouth was on mine and we were lost again in one another.

_The rain drizzled lightly, pinging musically against cars in the large parking lot. Students walked lazily to their vehicles. The rain wasn't bothering anyone. Bella strolled toward her beat up truck, which was parked in its old spot at the back of the lot. Angela strolls quickly beside her. They both idly chatter away. A loud whine echoes as a helmeted figure pulls up next to them on an electric blue motorcycle. Angela grins as Bella and the rider exchange hellos. The helmeted figure removed his mask. His hair was short and wavy. He had blue eyes that matched his bike. Bella smiled widely at the boy. He leaned toward her his face mere inches from her own. Bella's eyes closed._

"What did you see Alice?" Jasper questioned quietly "You have the warm and fuzzies." I focused once again on reality. Jasper lay beside me on the warm wooden floor. The bed had served its purpose but we quickly moved our escapades elsewhere. I rested my head once again on his chest.

"I saw Bella. With a boy. She was happy. He was going to kiss her and she was going to let him. Jazz she was happy." My voice strained in my throat as I struggled with this information. I was so happy that things were going to work out for Bella. I was not, on the other hand, looking forward to the heartache that it would cause Edward. Of course he put on a face and acted like he didn't love Bella. It wasn't hard to see that he was trying to protect her and was an absolute idiot because of it. "It's going to break his heart Jasper." He gently kissed the top of my head as he traced circles lazily on my back.

"He made the decision to erase himself from Bella's life. He is going to have to deal with the consequences of what that entails. Edward isn't stupid. He knows that there is a possibility of her falling in love with someone else. That will just have to be something he deals with when the time comes." Jaspers word were sure and I knew that he was saying them not only to make me feel better, but also because he believed them.

"Jasper?" I rolled over and propped myself up on my elbows. My topaz eyes met his caramel ones.

"Yes Darlin'?" He replied with a small smile.

"Will you tell me a story? One that I have never heard before?" Jasper was always an amazing story teller.

"What kind of story?" His smile grew larger with the question.

"Any kind as long as it has a happy ending."

"I can do that." He then launched into his story and we were lost to the world in a much different way.


	5. Chapter 5

**So a little bit of a peek into Bella's future in the last chapter. I hope you all aren't too mad at me. Time will answer all of your questions. I just wanted to thank all of you readers for all of your support. Staying Strong has made it to over 1000 views. Once again, I know that this number may seem fairly insignificant but to me it is amazing. Thank you to everyone who is following this story and who has added it to their favorites. Your support and loyalty is the greatest motivation of all. Please continue to review. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Much Love,**

**Stellar**

Chapter Five: New Kid

**Bella**

Monday morning came much faster than I had originally anticipated. After leaving the hospital with Angela, she dropped me off at my truck. I drove it home with her following close behind. While we were at the house I decided to go inside and edit my note to Charlie since plans had changed. I went inside and found the note right where I had left it. I quickly jotted down the new information before leaving once again, the door locked behind me. I got in Angela's car and we pulled back onto the deserted street. Somehow even on a day as beautiful as today our street was quiet.

"So what did you want to do with our now empty schedule?" Angela questioned lightly. Her eyes focused on the road, but not nearly as focused as she had been on the way to the hospital. She seemed much more relaxed now that she was away from her family.

"I was thinking we could go into the city. Maybe Port Angeles? We could walk around town and see what's going on there." I tried to keep it uplifting but in reality I knew that we were both desperately looking to be distracted.

The rest of the ride was spent listening to the radio and light chit chat. Port Angeles actually turned out to be pretty entertaining. We walked through downtown and visited a few thrift shops. Angela wasn't super girly like Jessica. She was content enough with trying on sunglasses and Converse and the occasional leather jacket. It was refreshing to hang out with someone who you didn't have to worry all the time with.

Angela received a call from her father about an hour after we had gotten to Port Angeles. Joshua had broken his arm and had to wear a cast for a while. After Angela was no longer on the phone, her mood increased considerably. We walked around downtown for a little while longer and then we decided it was probably best to head home.

The car ride back to forks was much quieter. Not because the atmosphere was uncomfortable but because we were content and couldn't wait to get home to take our shoes off and relax from walking. "Do you want to stay over tonight? We could hang out and watch movies." Angela spoke softly but there was a hint of excitement in her voice. Hanging out with Angela had been fun. I glanced out of the window into the woods as we sped down the road. The greens flowed and morphed together in a blur.

"That would be cool. I will just have to call my dad and let him know." Charlie would definitely freak out if I didn't come home at all tonight. He would probably assume that I had run off with Edward. I had gone almost all day without thinking about him. I was still furious with him for leaving me. My heart ached as his face entered my mind. He would never again fold me up in his arms. He would never kiss me again. Regardless of how much I hated him for leaving, I still somehow had room in my heart to miss him. My hands shook again with my anger. All of the colors outside the window were blurring together now. Tears flowed quietly down my face. I could feel Angela eyeing me from her seat behind the wheel. I was thankful that she let me cry in silence. She didn't push for me to talk about it. I cried soundlessly until we pulled into her driveway. I wiped the tears from my face. Clearing my throat I spoke. "Ang, I don't have any clothes." She eyed my messenger bag and chucked lightly.

"That would probably be helpful." We pulled back out of the driveway and drove the short distance to my house. Charlie's Cruiser sat in the driveway behind my truck. This settled some of my anxiety. I could ask Charlie in person. Technically I didn't have to ask his permission but I did want to make sure he didn't have any problems with me staying overnight.

Charlie, of course, had absolutely no problem with me staying the night with Angela. I was practically shoved out the door. We drove back to Angela's house and the rest of the night was just as we had planned. We all ate dinner and then Angela and I retreated to her room to watch movies.

The next morning was strange. Well it was strange to me anyway. Angela's father was the Pastor at one of the Churches in town. We all were expected to attend the morning service. My mom had dragged me to churches during her different kicks she tended to go on. I didn't really know what to believe after my experience with the Cullen's. I believe in a Heaven and Hell but who rules over those places is a bit fuzzy. The service went by quickly.

Angela drove me home after Church. I thanked her for a great time and headed inside. Charlie was at his usual spot in the living room. The football game was playing on the TV.

"Hey Bells! Did you have a good time with Angela?" He glanced over his shoulder to show that he acknowledged my presence before turning back to the game.

"It was fun Dad. We watched movies and then went to Church this morning." I hung up my sweater and walked into the living room. The game went to commercial and Charlie muted the TV. He redirected his attention to me. His eyes still showed signs of the same concern they held on Friday.

"I'm glad you got to hang out with your friend. So I heard something at work yesterday. One of my deputies said that the Cullen's left town. Anything you want to tell me about that?" And there it was. The thoughts that I had pushed into the back of my mind flooded to the forefront. My whole body quivered as I tried with all my being to keep my composure. Edward's face appeared in my mind again. Charlie watched me with incredible focus. His game was forgotten.

"Carlisle got a better job elsewhere and so they left. It was all very sudden. Edward didn't want to deal with a long distance relationship so Friday, before they left, he dumped me. There isn't anything else to say." My voice was quiet but I knew that he had heard every word. He eyed me carefully before speaking plainly.

"I'm sorry Bells. I know you really liked him. But hey, don't let this get you down. There are plenty of guys out there who would love to go out with you." I knew he was trying to be helpful but the urge to do something irrational was almost overwhelming. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself down.

"Dad, Edward wasn't like other guys at school. He listened to me and wanted to keep me safe. Well I thought he did. I know you are trying to help but I don't even want to think about dating anyone else. I loved him, Dad. You can't just bounce back from that. He lied to me about loving me and lied about never leaving me. It's going to take time for me to trust any guy enough to even think about dating them." I looked up at Charlie after I finished my rant. His eyes were wide with shock but there was also a hint of smugness there. He turned back to his game and unmuted the TV.

"Ok Bells. Do whatever you are comfortable with. I'm not going to complain about my daughter being too mad at boys to date them." His focus was then back on the TV and I knew his questions were over.

The rest of the night I spent doing homework that was due the next morning. I went to sleep that night quickly. Edward's face entering my mind as I drifted into unconsciousness. I did not sleep soundly. I tossed and turned all night as nightmares plagued my mind. I was back in the ballet studio and James stood over me with his camcorder. He lunged toward me to make the kill and Edward never intervened. I awoke with a scream. I reached instinctively to the scar on my other hand. My face was wet with tears. I reached blindly for my phone on my bedside table. I found it easily and clicked on the screen. It was a solid five minutes before my alarm was going to go off. I pulled myself out of bed and got ready for my day.

I was bound and determined to not let today go downhill. I texted Alice and we talked about our weekends. I was pleased when she told me that Jasper was doing much better. I went downstairs after our conversation was over and made myself a bowl of cereal to eat before I left for school. Charlie's coat and gun were gone from their normal spot by the door. I finished eating quickly and, after donning my jacket and grabbing my messenger bag, I headed out the door. All traces of the gorgeous weekend weather were gone. A light drizzle of rain fell from the gray overcast sky. The green hues I had marveled at were now muted and back to normal.

I walked quickly to my truck and made the short drive to school. On the drive I prepared myself for the inevitable. Edward and Alice would not be waiting for me. The sleek silver Volvo would not be in its usual parking spot. The most gut wrenching realization that I swallowed down was that everyone would notice. I would be answering stupid questions all day about their whereabouts. I would be lying to my friends all day. My hands seemed to never stop shaking now. I shouldn't have to lie to my friends because Edward was a coward and a liar.

Lost in thought, I arrived at the school much sooner than I had anticipated. My eyes instinctively traveled to the spot where his car used to be. The spot was not empty. A bright blue motorcycle was parked there. Forks wasn't a small school but it wasn't too large for a motorcycle like that to go unnoticed. A small group of students stood nearby examining it with appraising eyes.

I pulled into the first spot I found that I could fit the beast of a truck into. I headed across the parking lot avoiding the bike like the plague. People didn't have flashy vehicles at Forks High School. This meant one of two things. Someone's parents won the lottery or there was a new kid in town. Some might think that there was a third option, that being Edward got a shiny new toy, but I forced that thought out of my mind. According to Alice, Edward was still in Denali, Alaska with the rest of the family.

I made it up to the building without being noticed. Everyone was too interested in who the new bike belonged to. Once inside, Angela found me quite quickly. I smiled at her as she waved me down. She rushed over to me, a huge smile plastered on her face. "So I just heard that there is a new kid here. He just transferred in from England!" Angela was practically beaming. I almost had to run to keep up with her. It still amazed me how much news a new person in town was. Everyone knows, who comes and who goes from Forks, especially the students of Forks High School.

"Why on earth would someone from England move to Forks, Washington of all places?" I wondered out loud as we entered our first class. The classroom was almost empty. Angela and I went and sat down at our seats.

"I guess his mom got called in to be the new doctor in place of Dr. Cullen. That's what Mike was saying anyway." She cut off her rambling. I looked up at her and she was eyeing me carefully.

"It's ok Ang. You don't have to walk on eggshells every time Edward's family comes up. I will be ok. I guess when it comes to medical care Forks wants the best out there." I was silenced as the bell rang and students rushed in to take their seats. Mrs. Velspar, our English teacher, followed the last of the students into the room. She wasted no time launching into the lesson.

We were discussing the literary elements used in Edgar Alan Poe's work The Raven when there was a knock on the door. Mrs. Velspar didn't miss a beat as she answered the door. A person concentrating on their notes would not have even known she moved from in front of the white board. She opened the door quickly and then returned to the board.

The boy that entered was tall and muscular. Not muscular like Emmett but more like Jasper. He wore a black leather jacket and had a black backpack slung over his shoulder. His face was long his features were soft. He had light blue eyes and dark short hair. He strode over to stand next to Mrs. Velspar and waited patiently for her to acknowledge his presence. She handed him a textbook and motioned toward the only open seat in the class. The exact spot that Edward sat just last week. The seat right next to me. My stomach flipped lightly. Angela was whispering excitedly in my ear. "That's gotta be him." The boy walked slowly to his new seat beside me. Mrs. Velspar released us to do homework and read The Raven again for homework purposes.

"Hello, I'm Angela and this is Bella" Angela said extending her hand out in front of me toward the boy beside me. I turned slowly to face him. He smiled at both of us. He shook hands with Angela and then left is hand out for me.

"I'm Oliver. Pleasure to meet you." His voice had a thick British accent. His smile was perfect and bright.

"Bella. Nice to meet you." I shook his hand and then busied myself with my homework. The rest of the day went by quickly. Oliver was in two more of my classes. Lucky enough for me he was the highlight of everyone's conversations so there was no need for me to explain where the Cullen's were. I spent my lunch with Angela. We sat at the Cullen's table. It reminded me of Alice. The day went by smoothly and it didn't take long to realize that with Alice and Edward gone Angela would be my new companion. She didn't hover or ask a lot of questions. She took my mind off the Cullen's. Jessica didn't join us at the lunch table. She was quick to huddle to Lauren and fill up on gossip. Ben and Oliver sat with us but the conversation stayed on him. He moved from England but he was born here in Washington. He was very young when he moved over seas. The motorcycle was indeed his. The table was full of chatter. I didn't ask any questions but when conversation deemed necessary I entered the conversation.

I went home that afternoon knowing that tomorrow would not hold the same promises as today.


	6. Chapter 6

**I am, once again, so sorry for being late on this story. It has been a crazy week. It took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to say in Alice's chapter. I finally found something and just went where it lead me. I want to thank you all who have stuck by me. Keep reviewing. I love to hear your input. I have tried to continue making the chapters longer. This chapter is rated M. for good reason. If you are uncomfortable with that I urge you to please not read this chapter. You get to meet a whole new side of Jasper. Once again I would like to thank my amazing beta and BFF. I don't know what I would do without you. I hope you guys enjoy.**

**Much love,**

**Stellar!**

Chapter Six:

**Alice**

Jasper and I began to wander north through the mountains in the days following my vision of Bella and the mystery boy. According to my visions, Edward would be leaving Denali within the next few days which meant we could rejoin our family. Edward had made up his mind to hunt Victoria. His decisions were not solid on where he would actually start. I kept my mind's eye focused on his decisions. If he made any specific choice on the matter, I would be the first to know about it.

As we ran through the woods it was like experiencing the seasons in fast forward. Colorado had beautiful luscious green leaves on all of the trees. As we followed the Rocky Mountains north, the trees progressed to yellow and orange, then red and brown, then gone all together. The pines stayed green but the other tees were bare as we entered Canada. We didn't run at full speed but we followed the mountains back and forth for days. It was exhilarating, running hand in hand with Jasper through the mountains. We easily caught the scent of any humans that wandered into our path and were able to steer clear of the general vicinity.

This vacation was severely hurting my wardrobe. I brought a couple bags of clothes with me but I was due for a shopping spree. Jasper and I returned to the cottage late Tuesday night. We packed up the car and headed north spending less than twenty minutes at the cottage. Early on Wednesday Jasper and I stopped in a beautiful city called Sandpoint, Idaho just outside of Canada. It was busy for being so far north. It held quite a few boutiques that piqued my interest. We entered the last shop that caught my eye later in the afternoon. Jasper quickly maneuvered his way to the men's section. He knew me so well. He wouldn't get out of this town without at least five more outfits. Jasper was so perfect when it came to pleasing me. He wove through the boutique holding up items he knew I would like. He would place items that he really wanted in the cart without asking. His style was impeccable, even before I entered his life. That man could pull off jeans and a button up like no other. Somehow over the years I was able to lead the poor man away from bolo ties but his closet was home to at least four pair of cowboy boots. Silk shirts and casual slacks also found their way into the basket. He added a tribal designed T-shirt to the group of clothes without showing me first. This quickly got my attention. Jasper wasn't one to usually go for just plain T-shirts. "You really like that shirt?" I asked quizzically. He smirked lightly at me.

"No. I did it just to see how closely you were paying attention. You seemed lost in your own little world. Do you like that leather jacket? Because you have picked it up about half a dozen times." I looked down to the men's black leather jacket in my hands. I hadn't realized that I had been daydreaming but now that I had been caught, I placed the coat into the basket.

"I think it would suit you. I have one in storage that would complement it perfectly." I beamed brightly at him. He chuckled and everyone in the little boutique, which included a small herd of teenage girls, turned to look at the source of his musical laugh. The girls then all simultaneously glared at me. This was something all of the Cullen's had grown used to over the years. We were gorgeous to human eyes. The women fawned over Jasper while the men drooled disgustingly at me. Jasper couldn't care less as he tried on the jacket, of course, it fit him perfectly. I had a good eye for sizes. From the corner of my eye, I saw the group of girls whispering to each other. A tall lean brunette took a long lustful glace at Jasper. He was still busy with his jacket. All of the brunette's friend turned as she strode toward us. In human terms she was pretty. She would probably be considered gorgeous if we hadn't been around. As she drew closer, I took this time to warn Jasper. "Mean Girl at two o'clock" For the first time his eyes left me and the jacket and flashed over to the girl. His bright topaz eyes were a dead giveaway that he was well fed but he tensed slightly anyway. I busied myself with the rack of clothes in front of me and listened as the girl reached my husband.

"Hello, my name is Stacy. I couldn't help but notice, are you new in town? I would know if I had seen that face before." She leaned toward him giggling lightly. Jasper smiled politely at the girl.

"I'm Jasper, it's a pleasure. We are just passing through." He gestured to me and Stacy glanced over at me quickly before returning her attention to Jasper.

"Oh! Well I hope you and your sister are enjoying our little town. Well hey, there is a club open for teens and young adults open on Wednesday nights. A bunch of my friends and I are going. There is supposed to be an awesome DJ tonight. You should come and bring your sister too." I smiled widely and turned toward them and walked to Jaspers side. I barely came up to his shoulders. He wrapped his arm around my waist and smiled widely down at me.

"Stacy, you misunderstand. Alice is my girlfriend, not my sister. I thank you for the offer for us to join you tonight. We may just do that." Stacy's face fell as she watched Jasper, who was looking down at me lovingly. You could tell that she was not used to being shot down.

"Oh, sorry, my mistake. You both just look so alike. Your eyes are the exact same color. Well I guess I will see you later." And with that Stacy rushed back to her friends, her face bright red.

"So I'm playing girlfriend tonight. Not wife?" I said a fake pout planted on my face. He smiled brightly taking my face in his hands.

"I don't think we look old enough to be married. Not to mention neither of us are wearing our rings." I glanced down at my left hand. It was indeed bare of any jewelry. Jasper gently lifted my face to meet his eyes. "You are so much more than my wife, Darlin' Ali. I love you." I smiled back at him. He leaned down and pressed his lips fiercely against my own. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, deepening the kiss slightly. After mere seconds we pulled away and headed to the check out. The herd of teenagers continued their whispers but stayed away. After we had paid for our new clothes we headed out into the rain.

"So since we are going to be here all day, we should probably get a room at a hotel, love." I stated heading toward the hotel I had seen when we entered the town that morning.

"Yeah I could use a shower. And it looks like the sun wants to come out. We should stay in until after dark." I looked up at the sky. It did look like the rain wouldn't last much longer. I closed my eyes and grabbed Jaspers hand lightly. He led me down the street easily. We were used to walking and "seeing" at the same time. We would get up to our room safely before the sun came out to say hi. I opened my eyes and continued on at an antagonizing human pace.

Just as predicted, we reached our room just as the sun exited from behind the clouds. I hurried to close all of the blinds in the room while Jasper locked the door. No longer having to worry about acting human, we repacked our suitcases. The busy streets and traffic hummed outside. Jasper's hands worked rhythmically over his things. It was so easy to get distracted by him. It has been so nice to spend so much time alone with him. Being around people again was nice too. He moved to my side soundlessly. I felt his lips touch my neck and every cell tingled in excitement. His lips traveled up my neck in painfully slow movements. I tried to turn to face him but his hands secured themselves around my wrists. "How about that shower? Won't you join me Darlin'?" He whispered seductively in my ear. I nodded slightly my voice caught in my throat. In seconds our clothes were on the floor in a haphazard pile and we were writhing in each other's touch. We lost ourselves in the hot steamy passion, the rest of the world forgotten, once again.

I lazily pulled back the curtains from in front of the window. The sky was a deep midnight blue. Stars shined brightly from above. They hazed in and out and threw color everywhere. The night did not hinder my sight. I looked out at the busy downtown street. The cars zoomed past just as busily as they had earlier this afternoon. Even though I had spent the past five days alone with Jasper, it was still hard to pull away from him and get ready for the evening. I glanced over at the man. He was pulling on a pair of ripped jeans. It was so distracting watching him pull the material up his chiseled thighs. His boxers hid themselves beneath the fabric. Only the waistband could be seen. Jasper chuckled, his laugh pulling me from my fantasies. I looked up into his topaz eyes. They were glittering with light. His smile was brilliant white. I almost got lost in thought again as I gazed at him.

"You have been caught red handed, little lady." Jasper teased. I raised my hands over my head with an innocent look on my face.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." I lowered my hands and went over to my suitcase. I picked out the outfit I wanted to wear quickly and darted off to the bathroom before Jasper could see. I locked the door behind me even though I knew full well that the door would do little to stop him if he really wanted in. I heard him walk over to the door and the light sound of him putting his hand on the frame.

"Ali, that is not very nice. Why can't I see?" his voice was thick with fake sadness.

"Because, I want your jaw to drop when I walk into that club tonight. You go on ahead, I will meet you there once I am done." I could hear his impatient growl from outside the door.

"I don't want to go without you. What if something happens? You might walk into a murder scene." His voice was genuinely concerned. I closed my eyes and focused hard on tonight and what it might hold searching for anything that could possibly go wrong. My brain worked fast. There was nothing for us to worry about according to my sight.

"It doesn't look like you have anything to worry about. I promise to hurry." I said as I shimmied into the dress I had bought today. He sighed one more time.

"Ok, fine. I love you. See you when you get there." I listened as he grabbed his wallet off of the table and left. The rumble of our vehicle soon followed. I zipped up my sexy little number. It was a black and white mini dress. It was slightly shorter than mid-thigh. The top half of the dress was black and white floral lace. It had a black belt with a white bow. The bottom half of the dress was white and it ruffled together perfectly under the bow. I put on some smoky makeup and a light pink shimmer gloss on my lips. I left the bathroom and put on a black pair of pumps and headed out the door. It would be tricky getting to the club without being seen running. I caught Jasper's scent the second I walked outside. It was hard to miss when I was so attuned to it. I started off toward the club at a pace slightly faster than human, but not so much that it would draw attention. It wouldn't take long for me to get to the club. Jasper would have to wait a little bit longer due to the fact that the streets were too busy to run down.

I arrived at the club only five minutes later. It was fortunately just down the road from the hotel. Jasper really could have left the car. I am sure the same thought had crossed his mind when he realized that. The music could be heard from the sidewalk the bass thumping hard and deep from within the small club. Teenagers filtered in and out of the building at a steady pace. There was not a line outside but from the window that expanded across the front of the club, I could see that it was full of young people. I walked up to the door and a heavy set man in a leather jacket standing just outside opened it quickly for me. He was obviously meant to be the bouncer. In a gruff voice he questioned, "You gotta be sixteen to be in here little missy. You got some form of ID?" I pulled my driver's license I had used in Forks out of my clutch. It said that I was seventeen. It still annoyed me sometimes how young my height made me seem. I would forever get carded at nightclubs. The man eyed the photo and then with a nod, he let me pass.

The club was crowded. The energy that filled the room was electric. There was a pool of bodies on the dance floor pulsing instinctively to the music. There was a line of single girls against one wall and a line of single guys against another. It was like a high school dance all over again only the people on the dance floor had no inhibitions. The girls were dressed in short dresses and the guys in jeans and button down shirts. The girls grinded against their men or whoever was available.

Standing in the north corner of the club was Jasper. His eyes followed her with a lustful awestruck look in his eyes. Other guys in the club had turned their heads to watch as I passed them. This resulted in the glares from girls throughout the club. I was about half way to Jasper when a tall dark haired boy blocked my path. He had a smirk plastered on his face as his eyes raked up and down my body. "Well you have got to be the most gorgeous girl I have ever seen." He said slyly. I smirked back at him.

"Oh that's sweet." I moved to try to get around the boy but he blocked the path. I tried not to get frustrated but the impulse to punch the poor human in the face was itching in the back of my mind. Luckily, I was saved from having to decide. Jasper was beside me, his hand in mine. Somehow he had found a way through the swarm of dancing bodies that had separated us.

"Is there a problem Darlin'?" He asked peering down at me. His eyes were gentle, yet his face was hard. I glanced at the boy that was still standing in front of me.

"No, I am ok." I squeezed his hand affectionately. The boy's eyes were wide with surprise.

"You know, Alice likes to sugar coat things. Now boy, is there a reason you were keeping my girlfriend away from me." Jasper's voice was calm almost pleasant. The boy shook his head quickly.

"No I was- I- Nevermind." And the boy turned around and sauntered off in the opposite direction. Jasper laughed his gorgeous laugh.

"You are definitely the most gorgeous woman in all the world Ali." He whispered in my ear. I giggled softly.

"Let's dance." I pulled him over to the swarm of bodies and turned to face him. The music was hypnotic. The rhythm was easy to dance to. Jasper moved behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. His hands caressed my stomach. He pulled me tight against him. We swayed and grinded to the music. His hard muscular stomach pressed against my back. My hands reached above my head finding his neck as we dance. He traced kisses down my arms to my shoulders, up my neck. His lips closed around my earlobe. I gasped softly. The mood of the club changed. The dancers were hungry for each other. There were no longer any single people standing against the walls. All of the dancers gyrated against their partners. Jasper fueled the fire of the now incredibly horny teenagers. Sweat was glistening off of everyone as we got lost in the music. The lust in the air was thick, like a fog. I pressed myself harder against Jasper. His mouth enveloped my ear again as he breathed a hot breath on my neck. I grinded back against him more forcefully. I could feel his arousal press against me as I continued to grind to the music. My eyes rolled back as his hands ran down my stomach, past my hips, and down my thighs. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew that we had to stop. We were in a room full of teenagers. The last thing we needed was to start a lust crazed teen orgy. Even so, I knew I wouldn't make it back to the hotel before ravaging the man behind me.

Coming to my senses, I placed my hands on top of his own, which had been starting to inch under my dress, I stopped him. "Jasper, not here. We are creating a monster." Jasper's eyes lifted to the crowd. They grew wide with shock as he realized what had taken place. He chuckled and reluctantly removed his hands from my body.

"I didn't mean to. You were just so… They were all emanating lust like a beacon." He faltered. I grabbed his head and led him to a door at the back of the room. He followed eagerly. The lust was still thick on the dance floor. I opened the door and pulled him through it behind me. A small bar like room laid out in front of us. A scattered group of teens drank soda and talked with one another loudly over the music. The lust was much more manageable in here. At the other end of the room was another door with a large red exit sign above it. Jasper was now the one pulling me toward the exit. He burst through the door slightly harder than necessary. The door groaned and then slid back into its place clicking shut behind us. We were in an alley. It was dark and the music was muffled out here but still plenty loud enough for our ears to hear.

Before I could even blink, my body slammed against the wall of the club. Jasper pressed against me lifting me off the ground and we were surrounded by lust once more. "You, Darlin' are driving me crazy in that dress." Jasper breathed heavily against my neck. His kisses were wet and his hands quickly found their way back to my thighs. Jasper grinded hard against me to the music as his hands snuck under my dress. I was wet already from our dancing inside but this made me even wetter. His manhood grinded hard against me with each thump of the bass. My hands made their way to his belt. I quickly released it from its clasp and with expert precision unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans. His grinds grew harder as his hands went farther up my dress. His fingertips reached the wetness on my legs. A low growl left his lips and he bucked his hips against me. His hands quickly closed the distance to my heat. I gasped as he pleasured me with his thumb. He rubbed hard in rhythm to the music. The fingers of his other hand separated my heat and his thin silk boxers grinded against me. I moaned quietly. I reached between us to free him from what separated us but his thumb left its place and he stopped my hands with his own. "Oh no you don't Darlin'. After teasing me with that dress, it's my turn." I pouted and a whine escaped my lips. He then lifted me effortlessly higher against the wall. He placed my legs over his shoulders. His mouth mere inches from my heat. He once again used one hand to separate my heat and his other went back to pleasing me. His thumb rolled in hard circles and I almost cried out. I felt his hot breath on my sex and my eyes rolled back in my head a moan escaping my lips. I became wet once again as he breathed hotly on me once more. My hands found his hair and then his mouth was on me. His tongue moved expertly around my heat, his thumb now out of the way. I moaned loudly no longer being able to contain myself. He sucked my pleasure center into his mouth eliciting another moan. I felt one of his fingers slip inside me and I began to buck. I grinded helplessly against him. I felt my muscles in my stomach tighten as my climax got closer.

"Jasper!" I gasped as I grinded against his fingers. "Please! I need you!" I gasped as my body began to quiver. Without any further asking, he lifted me off of his shoulders and releasing himself from his boxers, slid inside me in one fluid movement. I moaned as I felt him thrust his whole length into me. I was so close. I could tell he was too. He growled low and deep as he thrust the final time, his seed emptying into me. My head tilted back as I climaxed as well.

After we had both calmed down, we gathered our composure. It had been years since we had done something like that. Over a decade. Once collected we headed to the car and went back to the hotel. Once inside we ravaged each other again and again until the lust from the evening waned as the sun rose in through the window.


	7. Chapter 7

**I am sorry everyone but, due to my hectic schedule as of late, I haven't been able to post. Not to mention my laptop that I save all of my stories on was at a relative's house up until a few days ago. I would love to be able to put a finite day on when I will be posting chapters like I had stated in previous chapters but unfortunately life happens and so it hasn't been going according to plan. I hope that you all will bear with me as I continue to try to get these chapters out as soon as possible. So, I also wanted to mention that my chapters are very rarely going to be like chapter six. I do not want this to turn in to something purely smutty. I really want my readers to get something more out of this story. Chapters like six will probably happen again but it will definitely not be the norm. Please everyone continue to review and to read. I once again would like to thank my BFF and Beta for all of her very hard work. I hope you all enjoy and once again sorry for the wait.**

**Much Love,**

**Stellar**

Chapter Seven: Talking

**Bella**

The questions that I had been expecting to get bombarded with never came. Everyone had heard about Carlisle supposedly taking the better doctoring job. A few people, Jessica and Mike, asked if Edward and I had broken up. I answered yes but ended the conversation before they could ask anything else. Oliver continued to be the center of everyone's conversations. He also continued to sit next to me in our classes together. He seemed like a nice guy but I didn't go out of my way to get to know him.

Friday came quickly. It was strange to think about the fact that it had been a week since Edward had left. When I woke up that morning it was the same as any other day in Forks. I could hear the rain ping off of my window in the steady drizzle outside. Everything was a muted grey color. I pulled on my clothes with shaking hands. It was normal to feel the blaze of hatred in my chest when I woke up alone every morning. The steady shaking of my hands reminded me that it was real and that Edward was never coming back. I was constantly annoyed at the fact that Edward had so conveniently left when another boy would arrive. A boy that was, to human standards, quite handsome. Of course, Oliver could never compete with the beauty of Edward and his family. It angered me even further that because of their beauty, every girl in Forks would now have standards that no man could ever compete with. I was included in that group of girls. Every boy that comes into my life for the rest of eternity would be a mere shadow of perfection because of Edward. I hated him for it. If Edward had never been in Washington, I would probably have considered someone like Oliver handsome, maybe even hot. I unfortunately had also been plagued with the knowledge of the creatures that hide in the dark places of the world.

The bitterness that I felt toward Edward did not continue on to the other members of his family. I loved the Cullen family and, if I was honest with myself, I was still very much in love with Edward. Their being vampires did not affect the fact that they were good loving people. The hatred in my heart ached even more when I thought about the rest of the Cullen family. I would probably never see half of them again. I missed them terribly.

Breaking out of my daze I gathered the rest of my school things into my messenger bag and headed to school. When I pulled into the parking lot it didn't surprise me that Oliver's motorcycle was in its usual spot. He had gone on to continue parking in Edward's spot. I was surprised to see, however, that when I parked in my usual spot, toward the back of the lot, I spotted him strolling casually toward my truck. His black biking helmet was tucked under his arm and his leather jacket was unzipped revealing a tight grey t-shirt. His converse sloshed through puddles as he walked purposefully. His hair was messy and glistening from the rain. His blue eyes were bright and cheerful. He reached my truck and I looked at him quizzically as I got out. Why on earth would he be coming over to talk to me?

"Good morning Bella!" He said lightly. He matched my pace as I headed for my first class.

"Morning, Oliver." I said my voice snipping with residual annoyance. I don't know why I was always so short with him. He was a nice guy. "Did you need something?"

"Just wanted to chat. I couldn't help but get the feeling that you are annoyed with me. I was hoping that you might tell me what I have done to upset you." His voice never wavered from his light happy attitude. He wasn't joking. That was apparent in his crystal eyes. They seemed to gaze deep into my soul. My heart sank. I yearned to share my burdens with him.

"It's nothing that you have done intentionally, Oliver. I have had a lot on my mind this week. I'm sorry if I have seemed upset with you." His left eyebrow raised with suspicion.

"So what did I do unintentionally that has made you upset with me?" His voice was soft and curious. Part of me wanted to answer him but another larger part of me did not want to have to lie to him. Luckily, the bell made my decision for me. The loud ring took me by surprise as I realized that we had stopped walking.

"We are going to be late." I started toward the building at a quick walk. Oliver kept up with me easily.

"No we aren't and you didn't answer my question." Now I was frustrated. Why did he care? It wasn't like we were friends. I barely knew him. What made it any of his business why I was annoyed?

"It doesn't even matter! Not that my feelings are any of your business." I walked briskly through the door to our class and sat in my seat next to Angela, turning toward her to avoid Oliver's gaze. Angela eyed me curiously but didn't say anything. The late bell rang and Mrs. Velspar started on her lesson. I kept my chair turned toward Angela for the remainder of class.

When the bell rang I turned to gather my things. Oliver had already left his chair and when I looked up I saw his leather jacket turn the corner out the door. I returned my gaze back to my things and saw a folded piece of paper sticking out of the top of my textbook. I pulled it out from between the pages of the book and flipped it over in my hands. On the front of the piece of paper was my name written in perfect cursive. I carefully unfolded the paper and in the same script was a not from Oliver.

_Bella,_

_I am sorry to have upset you. You are right. I had no business prying into your personal life. I would hope that you understand I was merely curious about your agitation with me. I don't understand what I could have done to make you upset with me. I have only been here five days. I want nothing more than to get to know you. I would love if we could start over without the outside annoyances and prying question. I hope I haven't overstepped by writing this to you._

_ Sincerely, Oliver._

My eyes stayed glued to the paper as I meandered expertly toward my next class. Even his writing came across as sincere. I folded the note as I entered the physics lab and shoved it into my pocket. I lifted my eyes and scanned the room. Oliver smiled from his usual seat next to mine. I felt myself smile back at him instinctively. I crossed the room and sat down in my chair. I turned my chair to face him. His eyes sparkled in the bright lights. "Hi." I said meekly. I truly did want to be his friend and get to know him. He was a genuinely nice guy and he didn't have many friends here. I would try, I vowed to myself. I would try to make friends with Oliver.

"Hi." He replied softly. He opened his mouth to say something else but the bell rang and Dr. Tregger started taking roll call. I grabbed a notebook out of my bag and opened it to a blank page. I hurriedly scribbled down a note onto the paper.

_I would like to start over as well. Hi, my name is Bella Swan. _I pushed the notebook over across the desk until it hit Oliver's arm. He glanced at the notebook and I nudged him again. He slid it under his arm and read the note. His face broke out into a small grin and he quickly jotted down a reply. Dr. Tregger reached his name in the list and without missing a beat he said that he was here and then after the teacher moved onto the next person he passed the notebook back.

_Hello, I'm Oliver. It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Bella. I have heard a lot about you. _I read his reply twice. What could he have heard about me? It could be anything.

_What have you heard? Nothing bad I hope. _I covertly slid the notebook back to him while the teacher was looking down at his attendance sheet. My name was called and Dr. Tregger looked up just as Oliver tucked the notebook under his physics book. I said a quick 'here' and then opened my physics book to look busy. The teacher went back to his names and I glanced at Oliver. He was taking a much longer time to write his reply. He glanced up every so often to make sure the teacher didn't look up and catch him. He never broke pace in his writing even when he looked away from his paper. He wrote with his left hand which made his handwriting even more remarkable.

Dr. Tregger started up the projector and began his lecture. The notebook bumped against my elbow. I slid it in front of me and flipped to a blank page. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Oliver eyeing me curiously. I jotted down the notes from the first slide quickly before turning back to the long note Oliver had scripted. _I don't think anything that was said could be construed as bad per se. I heard that you have only been attending Forks High for a little over a year and that your dad is the sheriff. I heard that you broke your leg in some freak accident in Arizona last spring. I also heard that your boyfriend saved you and that this boyfriend and his whole family just moved away but no one seems to know if you guys are still dating. I would love to inquire about the information I have ever so perceptively acquired but I don't want to pry either. _I read over the note quickly, flipping to next page in my notebook when Dr. Tregger moved onto the next slide. How on earth had he learned so much in just five days? But then again the Cullen family leaving was kind of big news in a small town like Forks. They unfortunately stuck out like a sore thumb. As I thought of what to say next the pencil in my hand shook lightly. It was hard enough to talk about Edward to Angela let alone to a person I barely knew. But then again maybe this is what I needed. Someone on the outside who didn't know the Cullen's. I started my reply writing quickly keeping my eye out for slide changes. I glanced over at Oliver and saw him scribbling down not studiously. If I missed anything I am sure he will help me fill in the blanks.

_All of those things are true so I guess it can't be bad. My dad is the sheriff and I moved here from Arizona to live with him when my mom married her new husband Phil. Yes, I had an accident on a trip I made to Arizona last spring. You will soon find out that I am a huge klutz and that being said I tripped down a flight of stairs and out a two story window. I was lucky that my leg and a concussion were my only injuries. Edward (boyfriend in question) did find me and "rescue" me. He moved away the Friday before you started at school here. He broke up with me very suddenly and we did not separate on good terms. _I thought about continuing but I wanted to leave the discussion open. I glanced up from my notebook at Oliver. He was looking at me too. His small smile played lightly on his lips. I smiled back instinctively. I slid the notebook over to him keeping an eye out for Dr. Tregger. He was busy pointing to different parts of his current slide with his laser pointer.

The notebook hit my arm again much sooner than I had anticipated. One line was written in his beautiful penmanship. _Is he the reason why you have been so angry? _This took me by surprise. I had been trying so hard to keep my anger locked away so that no one else could see it. Obviously I failed. Oliver had noticed that not only had I been annoyed but I had been angry as well.

_Yes. He is the reason why I have been angry. He is also the reason why I have been annoyed with you. _ I felt the constant need to be honest with him. It had been hard to lie about my broken leg but I obviously couldn't have said 'oh yeah well this crazy psycho vampire was trying to kill me and in his sadistic ways decided to torture me on camera until Edward swooped in and saved the day. Though not before I was bitten my said crazy vampire and Edward had to suck my blood to get the venom out' Yeah that would go over just perfectly. I passed the notebook back to Oliver and he raised his eyebrows in confusion before replying quickly.

_Care to explain that one Miss Swan? _I glanced up at him and he had one eyebrow raised suspiciously at me.

_Well when you came to town and started school, Edward had just left. You park in the same spot he used to park in. They also gave you his schedule. So every class I was in with him, I am now in with you. If I didn't know any better I would think I had imagined him. _I slowly moved the notebook over to Oliver's side of the table. He had just begun to scribble a response when the bell signaling the end of class tolled. He finished his note and then handed my notebook back to me. I folded it under my arm. "So. I guess I will see you at lunch?" I said as I finished gathering my things.

"Yeah sounds good. I will be waiting for your response." He laughed softly pointing at the notebook. He slung his bag over his shoulder and walked swiftly out of the room. I walked to my next class, which happened to be Calculus. Mr. Lilly was putting the assignment for the day on the board when I took my seat in the back of the classroom. I opened my notebook and read what Oliver had written. _I am sure you didn't imagine him. I also believe that now that I am aware of the situation, I can do something about at least one of the things that has annoyed you about me. I can't and quite frankly won't change my schedule due to the fact that I very much enjoy seeing you every day and the lady in the registration office told me that this schedule was my only option. I can however quit parking in that parking spot if you would like. I would hate to cause you any more agitation. Well I will see you at lunch. Oliver._

I felt a smile creep across my face as I read his last response. I hadn't expected him to care about the parking spot or even think about changing anything. The fact that he had taken my feelings into consideration was surprising and I couldn't help but smile.

I sat in calculus listening to Mr. Lilly drone on about some theorem we were supposed to be learning. Sooner than expected, the bell rang signaling the end of class. I gathered my things and headed toward the lunch room. As I entered the loud, packed lunchroom, my eyes scanned for Oliver. I caught a glimpse of him toward the front of the lunch line. As I watched him pay for his food and I robotically grabbed my tray at the end of the line, I realized something with a shock. As I looked at him, my hands no longer shook.


End file.
